Automatically adjustable neck band



9 I E. W. 1%"HAMJILTON AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE NECK BAND Filed Dec. 25, 1925 Patented Fe. l, 1927.

UNITE ELMER W."HAMILTON, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES C. BOGLE,

c 1 OF MASON CITY, IOWA.

AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE NECK BAND.

Application filed December 23, 1925. Serial No. 77,885.

This invention relates to a shirt and particularly to a provision of an adjustable neck band for ashirt. As is well known, mens' shirts are now commonly made with neck bands of fixed lengths, shirts being made in stock sizes with the neck bands from fourteen to seventeen inches in length, the sizes varying half an inch. It is a common occurrence in stock shirts, due to shrinkage or faulty manufacture, that the two sides of the neck band, that is, from .the rear button hole to the front, are not of equal length. This causes an ill-fitting of the collar worn with the shirt. Many of, the troubles had with collars are due to fault-y neck bands.-

The neck bands in stock shirts are also not "always accurately made and the collars often do not fit for this reason. There is also a variation in the length of collars marked with the same size and an ill fit is thus produced between the collar and neck band. A great many people wearing stock shirts are of such a size that it is necessary to get the shirt of a certain size to fit the body when the party could wear a much smaller collar. The collar, however must be selected according to the size of the neckband on the shirt and s. .h parties are often forced to wear a collar which is really too large. A merchant handling shirts must new stock all of the various sizes in order to roperly please and serve the trade.

t is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a shirt having an adjustable neck band so that the neck band will properly and comfortably fit the collar used.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a neck band on a shirt which is selfadjusting or automatically adjustable.

It isanother object of the invention to provide a neck band divided at some pointother than the front to provide overlapping tabs adapted to be movable lengthwise of each other to vary the size of the neck band, in combination with means carried by the shirt in which a collar button is inserted,

- which but-ton is adapted to pass through said tabs. said means, in addition to carrying the button, holding said tabs in proper position.

t is still another object of theinvention to provide a shirt having an adjustable neck band divided at some point other thanthe front, and preferably at the rear, to have overlapping tabs having elongated button holes formed therein, a flap being carried on the shirt adjacent said tabs having a but ton hole therein through which a button is inserted also passing through the elongate button holes in said tabs.

It is more specifically'an object of the invention to provide a device, as set forth in I the preceding paragraph, in which said flap is of suflicientlength to be folded over said tabs and thus be disposed at each side of said tabs or neck band, said buttons passing through both portions of said fiap.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the different views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a shirt, as seen from the front, showing the band with the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a ortion of the band'shown on an enlarged see. c;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrow;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on. the line 55 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows; and r Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a further modification.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a portion of a shirt is shown comprising the front parts or flaps 6 and 7 and the'yoke 8, to which portions are secured the neck band 9, said neck band having its ends terminating with the edges of the flaps 6 and 7 and provided with button holes, as shown at 9 at the front in alinement with button holes 6 and buttons 7, respectively, on the flaps 6 and 7. The parts so far described, are of the common construction in modern shirts.

. In accordance with the present invention,

the band 9 is divided at some point other than the front, and while the band may bewith tabs 9 and 9 at. the point of division, said tabs being unattached to the yoke 8 at their ends, thus leaving an opening or slot 8. The tabs 9 and 9 are adapted to overlap and'are provided with elongated button holes and slots 9" and 9. \Vhile any type of button hole may be used, the box type of button hole is preferred. A flap 8 is provided extending-upwardly from the yoke 8, and, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, this flap terminates substantially at the top of the tabs 9 and 9". The yoke 8 of the shirt, in practice, is commonly made of two thicknesses of material and, in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, these two layers of material merely extend upwardly to form the flap 8 being stitched together at their sides, the top of the flap 8 preferably being left open. The flap 8 is provided with a button hole 8" at its outer side.

In operation, a collar button of ordinary type shown as 10; will be inserted in the button hole 8, said button being inserted in said flap 8 through the open top thereof. The head of the button 10 will project rearwardly and the shank thereof will extend through the button holes'and slots 9" and 9 The band 9 will be connected at the front in the usual way by having the button 11 extend through the button holes 9. When the collar is applied to the band 9, said band will automatically adjust itself to the size of the collar, the flaps 9 and 9 sliding length- ,wise in overlapping relation and the button holes and slots 9" and 9 moving relatively to the button 10. The button 10 holds the flaps 9 and't) in perfectly alined relation so that there is no tendency for the ends of the tabs 9" and 9 to project upwardly. The band 9, is thus in perfectly smooth condition and in perfect fitting relation to the collar. If one side of the band should be slightly larger than the other, or one side of the collar slightly larger than the other, these differences will be adjusted and the collar, as stated, will fit the band perfectly. The yoke 8 and flaps (S and 7 of the shirt are always of soft material so that the flaps 9" and 9 have perfect freedom of movement to move longitudinally relatively to each other. The band 9 thus automatically adjusts itself to a perfect fit with the collar.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the flaps 9* and 9 are provided, as before, and the band 9 is attached to the yoke 8, as before. The flap 12, however is made much longer and is provided, not only with the button hole 12* adapted to fit over the collar button 13 but also with a further button hole 12 and a third button hole 12. The flap 12 is formed, as is the flap 8, by merely extending upward the two plies or thicknesses of the yoke 8. The flap 12, preferably, is stitched or hemmed about its edges, except at one side portion '12 where it is left open for the insertion of the button 13. A-small button 14 similar to theordinary shirt button, is attached to the back of the yoke.

In operation of the form shown in Figs. at and 5, the button 13 is inserted in the flap 12 and the flaps 9 and 9 are buttoned thereover button 13 passing through the respective button holes and slots .9 and 9. The fiap 12 is then folded down over the tops of the overlapping flaps 9 and 9, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and button hole 12 is also engaged over button 13. The button hole 12 is then buttoned onto the button 14:. When the collar is applied to a shirt, the tabs 9* and 9 will move longitudinally relatively so that the band will automatically adjust itself perfectly to the size of the collar. The flaps are securely held in properly alined relation by the tab 12 at each side thereof. The button 14 is provided to insure that the end of the flap will not turn upwardly. v

In the modification shownin Fig. 6, the tabs 9' and 9 are provided with their respective button holes and slots 9 and 9 and the flap 15 is provided of substantially the same width and height as the flap 8 shown in Fig. -2. Instead, however, of having the flap formed by merely continuing upward the two thicknesses of the yoke 8,

till

the flap is formed with a gusset 15* which 7 is stitched into the yoke 8. The flap 1-5 is open at its top, as is the flap 8 for the inser tion of the collar button 16.

The operation of the form shown in Fig. l

collar which correctly fits his neck and will a not have to worry about getting a shirt exactly fitting the collar. \Vhile the elongated button holes in the flaps 9 and 9 may be made of varying lengths, in practice, it has been found that if these button holes are substantially five-eighths of an inch in length, an adjustment of substantially one and one fourth inches is permitted in the neck band. In the present commercial manufacture of stock shirts the shirts are made in three or four sizes. These shirts are then fitted with neck bands varying one-half inch in length. That is, the sizes run 14, 14 15, etc, to 17 or 18. With the neck band of the present invention the half sizes could be elimi nated and the number of sizes that a merchant would have to carry would thus be reduced one-half. The half size collars could still be used and the bands would adjust themselves perfectly thereto. A great many people also now desire. to wear quarter size collars which are made and sold by quite a number of companies. The present band will always perfectly fit a quarter size collar. -By reducing the; number of stock sizes,'-as

above explained, a great saving of labor is effected and the merchant will save considerable capital; Hecould also turn overhis stock much quicker and thus keepanewer and brighter line of goods.

Considerable trouble is, also experienced atpresent, both in stock shirts'and custom made shirts in the shrinkage of the goods.

Some custom makers. of shirts preshrink- -the .neck bands and some do not. It is practically impossible to tell just What will be the final condition of the neck band after the goods has been laundered several times.

qble with shrinkage of the goods is eliminated and it will not be necessary in any case to preshrink the neck band. Thepresent in-' vcntion results. in a perfect fit of the collar and band and eliminates the well known trouble of collar riding up in the back. This is caused by the collar fitting the band too tightly. The band does not give and tends to force the collar therefrom.. A person requiring a larger size shirt than would be c'alled for by the necessary size of collar can, with applicants invention, Wear a correct fitting collar and still have a'larger size shirt. It is pointed out that thereis little or no waste of goods in making applicants shirt I rious changes may be made in the form, de-

tails, arrangement and proportions of the parts'without departing from the scope of applicants' invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carry-- ing' out the objects above set forth, in the Withthe present invention, all trou-' novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims. What is claimed is: 4 1. In combination with a shirt having the usual opening at the front thereof, of a neck and having projecting overlapping tabs at each side of said division, said tabs having slots therethrough elongated in the direction of the length of said band and in alinement and means supported by said shirt disposed centrally longitudinally of saidtabs and at one side thereof for holding a collar button adapted to project through said slots whereby said tabs may move longitudinally band having an additional division therein of said button automatically to adjust said band.

2. In combination with a shirt, a neck band attached to said shirt and having a division at the rear portion thereof and having overlapping tabs projecting from the band at each side of said division, said tabs having .slots therein elongated in-the directionof the length of the band and a flap extending upwardly from the material ofv said shirt at one side of said tabs and having a button hole therein disposed centrally lon 'tudinally of said slots and adapted to old a collar button projecting through said slots whereby said tabs may move longitudinally gt sgid button automatically to-adjust said 3. In combination with a shirt having a yoke of double thickness, a neck band attached to said shirt and yoke and divided at the rear and having projecting overlapping lon itudinally adjustable portions, a flap exten ing upward from said yoke, formed of both thicknesses thereof and disposed centrally of said portions and at one side thereof and adapted to receive a button, projecting through one of. said thicknesses, said button being adapted to project through the said longitudinally adjustable ortions whereby said button is supported by said flap and said portions may move longitudinallyrelative to each other and Saidbutton automatically to adjust said band.

In testimony whereof I, alfix my signature.

ELMER w. HAMILTON. 

